E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSCalifornia and five other states require physicians to report patients who present a driving hazard, but some experts say healthcare providers are not really knowledgeable about what circumstances would prevent someone from being a safe driver. NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports.
The Sharp Rehabilitation Adaptive Driving Program in San Diego helps seniors extend their driving years safely.
For millions of families across the country with aging parents, having that conversation about when to give up driving is oftentimes a difficult one. Everyday 10,000 Americans turn 65. And even though the crash rate for older drivers is actually down from 10 years ago, when there are accidents the chances of a fatality are higher.
The AARP is offering an online seminar about how to assess driving skills of the older driver in your life, and how to have a conversation about driving. Click HERE for more information on the seminar. And for tips from the AAA, please click HERE.
CarFit is an educational program that offers older drivers suggestions to improve their safety on the road.
Leave a Comment:
Well, I am a Seniorta, and two weeks ago, backing out of the garage, I hit my husband's car, and did
damage to both, $600, and there goes my October GE Dividend check. But, hopefully, under
CEO Jeff Immelt's leadership, there will be a quarterly increase. I am an eternal optimist!!!
One good thing about getting nowhere these days is,........ you can always blame it on
gas prices
When my dad became seriously ill that made the decision for him not to drive. When it came to my mother that was easy also. Her vision was going down hill and she decided that it was to give up the keys.
ITNAmerica is the first and only national nonprofit solution for senior transportation.
www.itnamerica.org
As a volunteer for ITNAmerica,-Portland, I can attest that seniors have this wonderful option. I was disappointed that this alternative that allows seniors to maintain their independence and their dignity was not part of your report.
I appreciate NBC's broaching the subject of older drivers and concerns regarding continued driving safety however you hurried through the piece and did not educate the viewer as to all the programs we were seeing. What you did touch on were programs such as CAR Fit designed to review and educate seniors on aging related changes but lacks intervention or actual skill assessment. What you did not do was let the viewer know that the person riding in the passenger seat with the elderly lady was a Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist. These individuals are trained and nationally certified in providing evaluation of an individuals ability to drive safely given issues of agiing or disability. This evaluation includes actual skill assessment on the road. These Specialists are usually Occupational Therapists who have recieved specific training in areas of disabilities and aging and the impact on driving. Viewers can find these specialists through the Association of Driver Rehabilitation Specialist (ADED.net) or the American Occupational Therapy Association ( AOTA.org). THe common goal for all should be to address issues of lifelong community mobility and alternative transportation options when it is time to give up the keys. THis approach will help address issues of isolation and inability to access public services,healthcare and employement for individuals of all ages.
As a drive instructor in the Portland Oregon area, I have seen a lot of abuse and manipulation of my older drive students, Just on the basis of their age. Those in authority will deliberately make it difficult, if not impossible for older drivers, once they are "tagged" to maintain their right to drive even when they are safe drivers. I have seen doctors lie just to keep from having to sign a consent for an older person to drive. The DMV, and police can be just as bad toward older drivers. It's not right. statistics show older drivers have as few or fewer collisions than younger drivers.
Ever see those short fat Mexican women get behind the wheel of a Ford Excursion? They can barely see over the dashboard.
I used to log 100,000 miles p/year driving. I'd rather share the road with the elderly than a great many idiots on the road today that shouldn't have a permit to drive anything.